Furniture leg cinching device

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a device for maintaining coordinated or matching furniture pieces in close proximity by securing immediately adjoining legs of the furniture pieces. The device is essentially an elastomeric ribbed strap having a means of connecting one end of the strap to the opposite end. The inner surface of the strap has a ribbed texture which is coated with a tacky, friction-enhancing substance to substantially increase the gripping power of the strap. The entire strap, referred to as a “furniture cinch,” essentially comprises a resilient, slightly expandable material which may be a variety of materials, including silicon derivatives, rubber, plastic, PVC, and similar substances.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH. OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The inventive concept presented herein generally is concerned withdevices and methods of ensuring that individual seats or sections ofresidential ensemble-type furniture or commercial seating equipment aremaintained in as close proximity as originally designed, thusmaintaining the coordinated and unitary appearance of the furniture orseating equipment.

(2) Description of the Related Art

The following patents and patent application publications present arange of ideas and devices that have previously been used to address theproblems associated with this area of endeavor.

In U.S. Pat. No. 3,162,484 (Dec. 22, 1964; Kleffman) an inventionrelates to a device for use in retaining the ensemble relationship ofsectional furniture. The device comprises a pair of circular ring partsformed of flexible material and dimensioned to fit over the opposed legsof the ensemble pieces.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,172 (Aug. 4, 1987; Lundquist). Here the inventordevises a ganging system and connector for assembling a plurality oflike furniture elements such as stackable individual chairs into astable, unitary row of seats for use in an auditorium or the like, Astylized “G”-shaped connector is used.

The inventor of U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,017 (Oct. 4, 1994; Berning) presentsan arrangement of pins and open-mouthed slots to provide an apparatusfor interconnecting furniture modules to form a sectional sofa in orderto enable rapid and easy blind connection, while permitting both ease indisconnection and elimination of stress on the frames of adjoiningsections.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,938 (Aug. 13, 1996; Saul et al.) is a mountingapparatus and method for releasably securing together adjacent seatingsections wherein the mounting apparatus includes a bracket having akey-hole like opening formed therein and a fastener having an enlargedhead and a shaft.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,530 (Sep. 28, 1999; Gutgsell) is a device forganging chairs or other articles of furniture that includes a connectingbody with a pivot end and a ganging end. The pivot end includes a firstclip or a recess, and the ganging end includes a second clip. The firstclip (recess) and the second clip releasably engage the structuralframes of a first chair and second chair.

The inventor in US patent application publication #2004/0095000 A1 (May20, 2004; Durling) designed a device comprising components of knock-downfurniture and modules of sectional furniture which are equipped withinterlocking brackets, connector frames, and a shelf assembly at thetime of manufacture, thus providing for a method of assembling thecomponents.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,448,689 B2 (Nov. 11, 2008; Carter et al.) is a furnituremember strap system which includes a first strap having loop members ata first end and hook members at a second end and a first sewn areapositioned between the loop members and the hook members. A second straphas opposed ends overlapping each other creating a looped end. Theassembly joins first and second members of a furniture assembly havingthe first and second straps sewn to the first and second furnituremembers.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIVE CONCEPT

The inventive concept herein discloses a device for maintaining theclose proximity of coordinated, or dissimilar, furniture pieces bysecuring immediately adjoining legs of those furniture pieces that aredesigned to fit adjacent to each other. The device is essentially aribbed strap having a means of connecting one end of the strap to theopposite end. A preferred embodiment is a roller-designed cinch on oneend of the ribbed strap and a free-plated opposite end, the free-platedend being dimensioned to allow insertion into the end having theroller-designed cinch. The inner surface of the strap has a ribbedtexture which is coated with a tacky, friction-enhancing substance tosubstantially increase the gripping power of the strap. The entirestrap, referred to as a “furniture cinch,” essentially comprises anelastomeric, slightly expandable component which may be selected from avariety of materials, including silicon derivatives, rubber, plastic,PVC, and similar substances.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects, features, and advantages of the concept presented in thisapplication are more readily understood when referring to theaccompanying drawings. The drawings, totaling six figures, show thebasic functions of various embodiments and methods. In the severalfigures, like reference numbers are used in each figure to correspond tothe same component as may be depicted in other figures.

FIG. 1 shows a lengthwise view of the bottom, or interior surface of thestrap component of the furniture cinch.

FIG. 2 depicts a side view of the furniture cinch with the interiorribbed surface downward.

FIG. 3 presents two matching sectional furniture pieces spaced apart.

FIG. 4 illustrates the two sectional furniture pieces of FIG. 3 joinedtogether by the furniture cinch.

FIG. 5 is a close-up view of the two adjacent legs of two sectionalpieces joined by the furniture cinch.

FIG. 6 is a view of the bottoms of the two sectional furniture pieceswith their adjacent legs joined by two separate furniture cinches.

Nomenclature For Invention Components  1. Furniture cinch  2. Outersurface  3. Ridge  3(a) Groove  4. Buckle face  5. Buckle underside  6.Retaining surface  7. Plated tip  8. Interior surface  9. Chair A 10.Chair B 11. A left front leg 12. A right front leg 13. A right rear leg14. A left rear leg 15. B left front leg 16. B right front kg 17. Bright rear kg 18. B left rear leg 19. n/a 20. Inset

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIVE CONCEPT

The objects, features, and advantages of the concept presented in thisapplication are more readily understood when referring to theaccompanying drawings. The drawings, totaling six figures, show thebasic functions of various embodiments and methods. In the severalfigures, like reference numbers are used in each figure to correspond tothe same component as may be depicted in other figures.

The discussion of the present inventive concept will be initiated withFIG. 1, where there is observed a segmented view of the bottom surfaceof the furniture cinch 1. FIG. 1 further shows an embodiment of thefurniture cinch 1 having a roller-designed cinch fastening mechanism,with the roller cinch 5 on one end of the furniture cinch 1 and theplated tip 7 attached to the opposite end of the furniture cinch 1. Themain body length of the furniture cinch 1, in its preferred embodimentis constructed from an elastomeric substance, which may be selected froma variety of materials, including silicon derivatives, rubber, plastic,PVC, and similar substances.

The plated tip 7 is secured to one end of the furniture cinch 1 by acrimping tool or by claw-like appendages on the inner surface of theplated tip 7 arranged perpendicularly to the inner flat surface of theplated tip 7 such that the claw-like appendages penetrate the surface ofthe furniture cinch 1.

In viewing FIG. 2, a segmented side view of the furniture cinch 1 isdisplayed. The undersurface of the furniture cinch 1 is shown to havecontinuous, regularly-spaced ribs 3 with parallel grooves 3(a) betweensuccessive ribs 3. FIG. 2 further shows that the furniture cinch 1 isoperated by placing the plated tip 7 into the gap exposed when thebuckle face 4 is opened. Once the plated tip 7 is inserted within theroller cinch 5 to the necessary length as to effect a loop therebybinding two adjacent furniture legs, the buckle face 4 of the rollercinch 5 is rotated toward the roller cinch 5 to securely grip the end ofthe furniture cinch 1 to which the plated tip 7 is attached.

It is also pointed out that, with the roller cinch 5 type fasteningmechanism, it is not required that the opposite end of the furniturecinch 1 comprise a plated tip 7. The opposite end will function just aseffectively with the continuation of the strap portion being a solid,squared-off end. Other forms of hastening the opposite ends of thefurniture cinch 1 may comprise a hook-and-felt fastening mechanism, abelt buckle-type fastener, snap fasteners, press studs, ratchets, andother means of connection.

FIG. 3 depicts two similar items of furniture, being upholstered chairs,9, 10 spaced apart, further showing front legs 11, 12, 15, and 16. FIG.4 shows the two chairs 9, 10 placed proximate one another, whereby frontlegs 12, 15, are substantially adjacent one another, as shown in theinset 20. In FIG. 5, an enlarged view of inset 20 illustrates the outersurface 2 of the furniture cinch 1 as evidence of the inner ribs 3 ofthe furniture cinch 1 having established a substantial gripping effecton the two furniture legs 12, 14. The buckle face 4 of the furniturecinch 1 has been closed and tightened upon the furniture cinch 1 afterinsertion of the plated tip 7, with the end result being a curtailingany separation of the two chairs 9, 10, caused by normal seating use orunexpected jostling of either chair.

FIG. 6 illustrates an underside view of the aforesaid two chairs 9, 10having been placed in close proximity. In the view shown in FIG. 6, boththe adjacent front legs 12, 15, and adjacent rear legs 13, 18 aresecured by two separate furniture cinches 1. The two furniture cinches 1thereby provide enhanced stability of the two chairs in theirside-by-side arrangement.

While preferred embodiments of the present inventive concept have beenshown and disclosed herein, it will be obvious to those persons skilledin the art that such embodiments are presented by way of example onlyand not as a limitation to the scope of the inventive concept. Numerousvariations, changes, and substitutions may occur or be suggested tothose skilled in the art without departing from the intent, scope, andtotality of the inventive concept. Such variations, changes, andsubstitutions may involve other features which are already known per seand which may be used instead of, or in addition to features alreadydisclosed herein. Accordingly, it is intended that this inventiveconcept not be limited by the scope of the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A strap-like device for the secure bindingtogether of adjacent furniture legs, comprising: a first membercomprising a primarily longitudinal elastomeric strap having a firstend, a second end, a top surface, and a bottom surface, wherein saidbottom surface further comprises (a) regularly-spaced, parallel ribsoriented orthogonally crosswise to the length of said strap, and (b) atacky substance coating the exterior of said ribs; a second membercomprising a male fastening means attached to the first end of saidstrap; and a third member comprising a female fastening means attachedto the second end of said strap, whereby said female fastening meanscorresponds to the structure of said male fastening means.
 2. Astrap-like device for the secure binding together of adjacent furniturelegs, comprising: a first member comprising a primarily longitudinalelastomeric strap having a first end, a second end, a top surface, and abottom surface, wherein said bottom surface further comprises (a)regularly-spaced, parallel ribs oriented orthogonally crosswise to thelength of said strap, and (b) a tacky substance coating the exterior ofsaid ribs; a second member comprising a free-plated clamp attached tothe first end of said strap; and a third member comprising aroller-designed cinch attached to the second end of said strap; whereinsaid free-plated clamp is attached to the first end of said strap bymeans of a crimping tool and said roller-designed cinch is attached tosaid second end of said strap, thereby allowing the first end of saidstrap to be inserted within the roller-designed cinch attached to thefirst end of said strap whereby the lever of said roller-designed cinchmay be closed upon said first end of said strap and provide a secure,closed loop.
 3. A furniture cinching strap device as in claim 1 whereinthe male fastening means comprises the hook component of a hook-and-feltfastening mechanism and the female fastening means comprises the feltcomponent of a hook-and-felt fastening mechanism.
 4. The furniturecinching strap device as in claim 1 wherein the male fastening meanscomprises a belt buckle, and the female fastening means comprisesregularly-spaced, center-aligned holes through the second end of saidstrap.
 5. The furniture cinching strap device as in claim 1 wherein themale fastening means comprises a plurality of regularly-spaced male snapfasteners embedded in the first end of said furniture cinching device,and the female fastening means comprises regularly-spaced, female snapfasteners embedded in, and spaced in the second end of said strap incorrespondence with the spacing of said male snap fasteners.